The Hindu : New Delhi News : “People moving out of Kolkata”

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Thursday, Jun 28, 2007
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“People moving out of Kolkata”

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Contrary to the predictions, many of the world’s largest cities, including Kolkata, have more people moving out than in, even as the world — for the first time in history — will have more than half its human population living in urban cities. The other cities witnessing this phenomenon of reverse migration are Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Sao Paulo and Seoul.

According to the U.N. report on the “State of World Population 2007,” by 2008 close to 3.3 billion people would have shifted to cities and the number is expected to touch almost 5 billion in 2030. While the world’s urban population grew rapidly (from 220 million to 2.8 billion) over the 20th century, the next few decades will see an unprecedented urban growth in the developing world, notably in Africa and Asia. By 2030, the towns and cities of the developing world will make up 80 per cent of urban humanity.

However, the fact remains that the overall rate of urban growth has consistently declined in most world regions. Among the present day 20 mega cities, only six grew at rates consistently above 3 per cent a year over the last 30 years. The others experienced mainly moderate or low growth. Over the next 10 years, only Dhaka and Lagos are expected to grow at rates exceeding 3 per cent a year. Six will grow at rates less than one per cent, the report predicts.

India’s urban areas still hold less than 30 per cent of the total population which is expected to rise to 40.7 per cent by 2030. This relatively low level is partly attributable to a stringent definition of “urban” in India (excludes peri-urban areas). Even with such a definition, urbanites are expected to number some 590 million in 2030.

Making a specific reference to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme enacted in 2005 with a view to retard urban growth, the U.N. report points out that through it, the Government assumes the responsibility for providing a legal guarantee for 100 days of employment in every financial year for every rural household.

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